truck heads?

[fe66comet]

OK I am nearing the end of the month and got thinking about the truck I am planning to get after the first. As I said in some other threads it has a 391 FT in it and I have been milling some ideas through the brain grinder. First thing I am thinking of doing is a head swap, I thought about aftermarket heads but then thought why waist my money. Now I am thinking of FE pickup heads with hardened seats and no smog junk. Maybe 360 or 390. What year heads would fall into a four barrel head with good seats and no emissions junk to deal with? Nothing fancy just better compression and ports than the FT had. I am going to stay with the 600 cfm carburetor and governed distributor and adjust the RPM up to 4000 or so to also help some. I am assuming the intake is iron and has tiny ports als so that may have to be opened up to match or changed also?

[ScotiaFE]

FT heads have the centre exhaust cross over and corresponding intake and exhaust manifold.
You may have to change the intake and such with a head swap.

[fe66comet]

Exhaust manifolds are not a big deal, I can go to truck manifolds or headers. Intake I imagine I could just block off the unused port with JB weld and steel like you do with a Buick, Pontiac or Olds. You just cut a wedge of steel and glue it in place. Another option is a pickup intake also and weight is not a big concern so the expense of a Performer is not justified with a standard small port head. I would imagine the FT port resembles the 2V FE head, tiny and restrictive. I would be looking for a decent 4V Ford head is all.j

[thatdarncat]

No such thing as a 2V or 4V FE head. Ports vary by casting and year, but not what carb was used.

[GJCAT427]

Jon. I`ve been following your threads on both forums. If you decide to use FE heads on the FT you can modify the FT manifolds to work. I did a set for one of my motors. All you have to do is have a welder close up that center hole with a piece of stainless and weld it with nickel rod. Grind the weld flat and mount it back up. It looks OEM and you will have good flow out the pipes.

[fe66comet]

That will work, I just want to add enough to make it breathe easier. So what am I looking for casting # wise for hardened seats and decent ports? Chances are they will be pickup heads around here, there are a ton of them around. Or even a date to stay after would give me some direction.

[thatdarncat]

FE heads from '58 to '65 all use the tall intake port. These would be EDC, C0AE, C1AE, C3AE, C4AE castings. 1966 castings used both tall and short intake ports. There are muliple casting numbers. From '67 to '76 they are all short ports. These are C7AE, C8AE and D2TE castings. Only the D2TE heads use an induction hardened exhaust valve seat. This is not the same as a hardened seat insert like a machine shop would add. And all D2TE heads would have come on a pickup truck since no cars were being made with FE's anymore at that point. The above heads would all be standard car and light truck heads, not 406, 427 or CJ heads. And although you can switch the top end of the FT motor to FE parts know there are other differences to a FT motor, like the pistons, which are heavy, have a different dome, etc.

[fe66comet]

The heads from what I understand have bigger chambers, smaller ports and valves on the FT. Also of course the crossover. I am not sure of how many thermostats are on the truck currently, I did not pat attention but it may be dual? I will have to fully evaluate it when I get it home I guess.

[ScotiaFE]

FT heads have 1.75"ish intake valve and a 1.5"ish exhaust valve.
They also have large chambers and the pistons are low in the hole.
Not sure you can just plug the intake up and go. Maybe?

 

[GJCAT427]

Jon, I was talking exhaust manifolds, not the intake The FT intake will not bolt up because of the center exhaust crossover.